Design Phase, Late Autumn 1915Squadron 1 of Feather-1914s at Derboise is now at Rookie experience level, and the pilots pass around a petition to have their planes upgraded with ailerons.
Although they have successfully captured Derboise, the army generals are a little annoyed that you weren’t able to adequately protect the artillery batteries from bombing raids. They do appreciate the assistance from the Hykib observers, and wonder why you requisitioned the artillery spotting equipment if it’s not going to be issued to the observers.
At Dreidansk, the general assigned to defend the city is mad that the air force has essentially abandoned the entire front, even given the lacklustre state of enemy air forces here. With the Sky Eyes still afloat, he warns that there is a good chance the city will fall next turn, and if the balloons return to their previous numbers, that is almost guaranteed.
The KPAF is finally known to the Kolechian public as the official organisation in charge of planes, but it will take some time for the acrobatic squadron to gather prestige.
A group of junior navy officers has approached the KPAF to ask for a loan of a Hykib balloon squadron, to test their ideas of dedicated balloon tenders.
High command has increased your budget by 2 PP, as the country devotes more factories to war. Top-quality Kolechian cigars have been replaced by cheap cigarettes, and the remaining boxes of cigars are fetching a high price on the black market.
Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane | 3/19 progress | 2 PP per die | Rushed 0 times | 2 PP invested
Planes:
-Feather-1914 Scout Plane: A unarmed, single seater biplane. High stability makes it easy to fly, but also woefully inadequate for anything other than scouting. Lightweight wooden fuselage combined with a five-cylinder rotary engine gives it good speed in the air. Now comes with ailerons for improved roll capability. Cost 3/1
-Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane: A single-seater monoplane with a 7-cylinder rotary engine and correspondingly good speed. It’s armed with a Type 11 LMG firing forward through the propeller arc with the aid of a rudimentary synchronisation gear, which reduces the fire rate and occasionally jams the gun. The synchronisation gear prevents the blades from being shot off immediately, instead delaying it to ‘about one-third of a belt later’. Cost 5/2.
Balloons
-Hykib Observation Balloon: A single-pilot hydrogen balloon designed for aerial observation. Its elongated and finned shape helps it remain stable even in high winds. The basket has an inbuilt telephone to relay messages from the pilot to the ground, and what can charitably be described as a very rudimentary parachute. Painted a glorious red throughout. Cost 2/1
Equipment
Lvoc Camera: A glass plate medium camera with a 150mm focal length, coincidentally about the size and shape of a 150mm artillery shell. Requires manual changing of the plate for each photograph taken and is moderately durable. Cost 1
Type 11 machinegun: An air-cooled light machine gun firing 7.65x53 mm Argentine rounds at 600 RPM. Sometimes overheats after prolonged use. Cost 1
Artillery Spotter Equipment: A set of good binoculars with range markings and a Kolechian ‘comtant’, a combination of compass and sextant for taking precise bearings. Questions of whether a sextant is really necessary for doing so are met with offended looks. Cost 1 PP for 2 squadrons.
Pilots:
-Coordinated: Strength in numbers! Kolechian pilots work well together and are better coordinated in combat.
-Uniforms: Red with silver accents. Pilots are issued a thick, flowing red cape which flutters gloriously in the wind, inspiring the men on the ground.
Technology:
-Basic biplane design
-Basic/Intermediate monoplane design
-Basic/Intermediate balloon design
-Wooden frame construction
-Basic control surfaces: wing warping, elevator and rudder and ailerons.
-Foster mount technology
-Very rudimentary synchronisation gear
Resources:
-1 Pilot Training Institute: Teaches new pilots what each lever does. When to pull each lever is up to the student.
-1 Developmental Airfield: Designs new planes and other air-related equipment. Produces five dice worth of progress every turn.
-16 production points base
Squadron 1 | Feather-1914-NA Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera | Aerial Reconnaissance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to photograph enemy defenses around Derboise
Squadron 2 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | No Equipment | Performance | Rookie | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned as the KPAF's Official Acrobatics Squadron
Squadron 3 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Air Superiority | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to secure air superiority over Derboise
Squadron 4 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Type 11 LMG | Anti-Balloon | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to shoot down enemy balloons along Dreidansk-Demisonne frontline
Squadron 5 | Feather-1914 Scout Plane | Lvoc Camera, Type 11 LMG | Anti-Balloon | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to shoot down enemy balloons near Derboise
Observer 1 | Hykib Observation Balloon | No Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Derboise
Observer 2 | Hykib Observation Balloon | No Equipment | Artillery Spotting | Neophyte | No Aces | Maintenance Cost 1
Currently assigned to artillery spotting at Derboise
Prestige: Little
Status: Auxiliary Service
Army Relations: Lukewarm
Navy Relations: Neutral
Production Points: 16
Total Maintenance: 7
Author
Topic: Knights of the Skies: Kolechia Thread - Early Summer 1916, Production Phase (Read 54660 times)